1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gas release device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a gas release device that is activated by both fresh and salt water and that can be adjustably mounted upon flotation equipment.
2. Description of the Background Art
The use of pressurized gas release devices for inflating floatation equipment is known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,440 to Miller and U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,128 to Jankowiak et al, which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention and are incorporated herein by reference, describe water-actuated, pressurized gas release devices for inflating flotation equipment, such as life vests that are adapted for use by pilots and seamen.
These devices work well because they are easily worn by a pilot or by a seaman working around water. This ensures that the device will be available should the pilot ever be forced to abandon his aircraft or should the seaman ever fall overboard from a ship. Then, the device will automatically actuate to inflate a flotation device and help save the pilot's or seaman's life. There are other floatation devices in the marketplace that also accept gas pressurized inflating devices, such as rafts. However many of the currently used flotation devices are designed with an interface that is specifically designed to accept only one type of gas pressurized inflation devices.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,346, issued Sep. 15, 1992 to Naab et al., and also subject to assignment to the current assignee and incorporated herein by reference, describes an electromagnetic interference (or “EMI”) protected, water-actuated pressurized gas release device. The EMI protected, water-actuated pressurized gas release device is constructed with a skirt or step that overlaps the interface between the circuit casing and the associated primer casing. The step serves to block the interface between the casings to reduce the possibility of EMI radiation passing along the interface to the electric circuitry. The passage between the battery bore and the electronics cavity is also provided with an EMI filter that is electrically connected between the electronic lead wire and the circuit casing with at least one capacitor to shunt EMI radiation leaking into the circuit casing to ground. These improvements provide the device with a high level of EMI protection in accordance with current government standards.
The above referenced devices all work well for their intended purposes. However, there is a need for a low cost, lightweight, unobtrusive water-actuated pressurized gas release device for general commercial, military and/or individual recreational use which interfaces with a variety of flotation devices, vests, rafts, etc. The device needs to automatically inflate an associated personal flotation device should the person ever be subjected to a potentially life-threatening drowning situation, and the device must provide a manual means of being activated as a backup inflation method should the device fail to automatically inflate or if the user wishes to manually inflate the flotation device before entering the water. It also needs to be easy to wear and unobtrusive and fit a variety of interfaces. This ensures that the pressurized gas release device will be worn at all times and therefore available should the person ever become submerged in fresh or salt water. In addition, the device needs to be reliable but inexpensive to manufacture so that it can be sold as a low-cost, non-reusable water-actuated pressurized gas release device.
The water-actuated, pressurized gas release device of the present invention fits all standard inflatable life vests, life jackets, and life rafts, with a variety of interface means, and can be adapted to connect to conventional pressurized gas cartridges or containers. This makes the device particularly useful to people working on off-shore drilling rigs, on work boats, and in shipyards, as well as to people engaged in construction activities around water, commercial fishing, recreational boating and racing activities and even children, handicapped people or elderly people engaged in activities on or near water. Furthermore, the pressurized gas release device can be manually actuated by a lever connected to the device. Once the device is automatically actuated the piercing pin locks forward. This prevents the device from being re-used because if a new cylinder is screwed into the body the locked forward piecing pin will puncture the cylinder as it is being it tightened. In addition, the device has a firing indicator pin that is visible through the end cap. The firing pin is only actuated after device is automatically triggered.